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LAWRENCE — The Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas today announced the programming schedule for the fall 2011 semester, including the series, “The Fall of the Soviet Union: 20 Years Later.” All events are located at the Dole Institute and are free and open to the public.

“Twenty-eight years ago, filmmakers came to Lawrence to shoot ‘The Day After,’ a disturbing movie about a U.S.-Soviet nuclear war,” said Bill Lacy, director of the Dole Institute. Eight years later, the Soviet Union ceased to exist. Our series addresses what happened during those years and the impact on international affairs today.”

“The Fall of the Soviet Union: 20 Years Later” is a four-part series that will host expert KU faculty, an international blogger, a documentary on the Orange Revolution, and a fourth program to be announced. The series will also have a supporting exhibit on elections in the former USSR. All events are co-sponsored by the Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies (CREES).

In addition, the Dole Institute will begin its focus on the 2012 elections, feature one of the foremost experts on Islam, talk about civility in political and community affairs, and address obtaining a national popular vote without needing a constitutional amendment.

The Dole Institute’s lineup of new programs for the fall semester is:

7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31, Dole Institute “The Fall of the Soviet Union: 20 Years Later – The Soviet Collapse & Legacy”—Professor Emeritus Norman Saul, an expert on modern Russian history; Associate Professor Shannon O'Lear, an expert on political geography in the region; and Assistant Professor Mariya Omelicheva, an expert on security issues in the post-Soviet area discuss the causes, consequences and implications of the USSR’s collapse. This program co-sponsored by CREES.

7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27, Dole Institute The Civility Project— The Consensus team shares their findings from 20 focus groups in Lawrence and metro Kansas City on defining civility, involvement in public issues, and ideas to raise the level of civility. Find out what your community had to say and what you can do to help. Kansas City-based Consensus is a nonprofit organization striving to give citizens a voice in public policy.

3:00 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, Dole Institute Lyndon Johnson and Vietnam: The Rhetoric of War and Peace—The first Dole Institute Visiting Scholar, David Zarefsky, discusses President Johnson’s speeches as an aid in understanding the mindset in which most Americans viewed the war and through which Johnson held their support for most of his term. This program is co-sponsored by the KU Communication Studies Department.

3:00 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, Dole Institute “The Fall of the Soviet Unions: 20 Years Later”—The Dole Institute features a screening of “Orange Revolution,” a film that captures the spirit and the determination of the most successful political protest of the decade – a nonviolent victory which reverberates with meaning for citizens the world over. This program co-sponsored by CREES.

3:00 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, Dole Institute “Beautiful and Abundant”—Bryan Welch discusses his latest book, a practical and unconventional guide to true sustainability. This event will include a book sale and signing.

7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7, Dole Institute Should the President Be Elected by Popular Vote?—Dr. John Koza and Tara Ross deliberate the positives and negatives of adopting the National Popular Vote, a plan guaranteeing the presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes without requiring a constitutional amendment.

7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, Dole Institute “What to Ask the Person in the Mirror”—Rob Kaplan, Harvard Business School, former Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs Group and KU alumnus, discusses the fundamentals of successful leadership. This event will include a book sale and signing.

7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28, Dole Institute “The Fall of the Soviet Union: 20 Years Later – The Future of the Post-Soviet Region”—Blogger and youth activist, Arzu Geybullayeva, talks about the key role youth activists played in the Color Revolutions. Geybullayeva focuses on the future of the region from a young person’s perspective. This program is co-sponsored by CREES.

Please check the Dole Institute’s website or sign up for our weekly emails for additional programs this fall.

For more information on these or any Dole Institute programs, visit www.doleinstitute.org or call (785) 864-4900.

The Dole Institute of Politics is dedicated to promoting public service, civic engagement and politics. It is located on KU’s west campus next to the Lied Center.

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